Stealth 101
by chewingsoul
Summary: Worried about security levels rising, Joker took action.
1. 101

It had been a while since Makoto Nijima felt satisfied after finishing her student council duties for the day. Just the other day she felt helpless and lost, then yesterday happened and she felt in full of control of everything, including herself.

"This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self…" she muttered. She smiled at the thought, it was what her Persona, her other self, told her.

As she was about to leave, a buzz in her phone prolonged her stay. She looked at it and saw a message from the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

" _I need to talk to you in private, meet me on the rooftop."_

" _That place is off limits, you know,"_ she replied.

" _It's important. Don't worry about bringing a key, I had Morgana unlock the door."_

She frowned. She was new in the Phantom Thieving business, but she was still the student council president, seeing someone nonchalantly break school rules didn't sit well with her. But she had faith in them. If their leader said it was important, then there was no doubt in Makoto's mind.

When she arrived at the rooftop, she was greeted by the sight of Akira Kurusu deep in thought.

"Pres, you're here," he said. "Come have a seat," he gestured at a chair.

"You can just call me Makoto," she said as she sat down. "What is it you want to talk about, Akira?"

Akira sat opposite to her, a wooden table between them. He brought his elbows on the table and clutched his hands together. He lowered his head and his glasses gleamed, hiding his eyes.

"I'll be honest with you, Makoto," he took a breath. "You're a liability."

His words struck her painfully. She knew in some sense that she was going to be dead weight, it was her first mission, after all, even her explosive display yesterday as she awakened to her Persona didn't guarantee she would be of help to the group. But at the same time, she refused to be put on the sidelines.

"May I ask why you think so?" her voice croaked.

"You can't hide."

"Pardon?" she was expecting more than that.

"You can't hide."

Silence followed, Makoto was confused.

"What... do you mean?"

"It means what it meant, you can't hide," a sigh escaped Akira's lips, a sign that he was tired of repeating himself.

"That doesn't make sense!" Makoto slammed a fist on the table, surprising both her and Akira. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," she calmed herself. "But, how would you know that?"

"I thought you knew," Akira raised an eyebrow. "I was being respectful for not bringing it up since I have a suspicion you were being forced to do it."

"What are you even talking about?" Makoto bit her lip, she was having a hard time controlling her emotions.

Akira saw her repressed anger taking shape. It intimidated him, causing him to be quick on his words, his usual calm now in disarray.

"I'm talking about the time you were following me everywhere I go," he said.

That seemed to stop Makoto's temper from rising.

"You…" she looked at him in surprise. "You knew?"

"Yes…" he brought his phone to the table. "Here's my proof."

Makoto looked in horror as she witnessed pictures of herself following a certain frizzy-haired boy. A few of them could be thought of as just a picture of a girl enjoying her manga, but most of them were explicit in its desire to show the world that she was a stalker, an incredibly poor one at that.

"H-How did you… but I'd never seen you take pictures on your phone…" she stared at him in disbelief.

"That's because I know how to hide."

That struck Makoto on the head. She did recall losing sight of him from time to time whenever she was following him, but she didn't know her cover was that bad. There was also Morgana to consider… if the cat could unlock doors, what was stopping him from taking pictures?

All fight within her escaped as she stared listlessly at the sky. It was a Tuesday, she remembered, she had to cry about her uselessness early tonight so that she wouldn't be late to school tomorrow.

"I see…" her voice broke. Her time as a phantom thief didn't last long, but she would always treasure the memory. So much for graduating from her false self. "Goodbye, then," she hurriedly stood and turned around.

"Wait, where are you going?" Akira asked, catching her by the wrist.

"Home, you don't need me anymore, right?" she snapped.

Akira was taken aback by the shine in her eyes, and only then did he realize his mistake.

"No, we need you," he quickly said. "I was just about to offer you lessons."

"Lessons on what?" she glared at him.

"Stealth…" he meekly said.

"Then you should've said so earlier!"

"I'm sorry," despite being a head taller than Makoto, Akira felt small.

"And here I thought you want me out of the team…" she sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Can we talk about this later on text? I assume you don't want to infiltrate the palace till I learn how to hide properly."

"Yes," he nodded. He sensed sarcasm in her voice but thought better not to point it out.

"Ok, see you later then," with a curt bow, Makoto left.

* * *

"This is why I told you that you need to study more if you want to connect to a girl like Makoto," Morgana the cat said, coming out of his bag. He jumped to the table and proudly nodded to himself. "If I were to rate your knowledge, I'd say it's 2 out of 5. You also lack tack, Joker."

"Shut it, cat," Akira pushed his glasses upward, sighing to himself. "There's that Nostalgia Steak on the Diner in Shibuya, right?" he rubbed his hair.

"Yep, let's go," Morgana said as he happily went back on Akira's bag.


	2. 102

Finishing his stay at the Diner, Akira decided to walk around the central street of Shibuya, the act causing him to reflect on his day.

"Hey, shouldn't you head home for now?" Morgana said, his head popping out from his bag. "It'll be easier to travel undetected without your school uniform."

"It's too troublesome…" Akira said. "The sun's just about to set too."

"You're too lax. The leader of the Phantom Thieves should always be cautious."

"Yeah, yeah," Akira mumbled as he picked up his phone.

He stopped near the station entrance, letting the voice of a street musician reach his ear from a distant. He tapped on the messenger icon on his phone and picked their newest member's contact info.

As if reading his mind, Morgana grabbed on his shoulder and looked at his phone.

"Hmm, it'll be hard to start a conversation with her now."

Akira frowned, agreeing with the nosy cat.

"How about you apologize first?" Morgana suggested. "Say that you didn't mean to offend her by calling her a liability."

"That'll just rub it in," Akira sighed. He could never get used to a cat giving him advice, it always felt surreal whenever Morgana nags him to do something. "I guess it's just part of having a cat…" he muttered.

"Hey, I heard that," Morgana growled.

"That's why I said it," Akira growled as well.

"Don't take your frustrations out on me just because you screwed up," Morgana said before jumping back on his bag, the suddenness of it made his bag weigh twice, causing it to fall off his shoulder.

As it fell to the ground, he heard the soft thud of cat and books clashing in limited space. He crouched down and saw Morgana buried among paper, homework, and snacks.

"Are you alright?" he picked him up. "Sorry about that."

"It's my fault too," Morgana said before retching out an odd morsel. "Joker, less food in your bag please."

His phone buzzed as he grabbed his things. He checked and saw a message from Makoto.

" _Hey, I'm sorry about earlier... for snapping like that. I couldn't control myself."_

"Apologizing when she did nothing wrong," Morgana commented back on his shoulder. "You should apologize too."

"I know," he started typing.

" _I should be the one to apologize. I didn't mean to offend you… I was just worried."_

"Worried about what, Joker?" Akira didn't answer as Makoto's text arrived a second later.

" _I understand. From what little I saw in the Metaverse, I know that stealing someone's heart is no fun and games. It's dangerous and one misstep could result in our deaths. You bear a heavy responsibility as our leader, Akira."_

"Joker…"

Akira knew Makoto was sharp from the moment they clashed, and it wasn't even that long ago. Perhaps it was because of that, that he was still wary of her, and he didn't found the need to mask the bluntness of his words.

Yet despite that, she was able to understand a part of him so clearly… he felt guilty for not trying to sympathize with her.

" _Is that similar to how you feel as president of our school?"_ he asked.

A simple " _Yes"_ was Makoto's reply.

" _I see."_

"She does seem to take her responsibilities seriously," Morgana said. "You two are alike in that regard."

Akira didn't say anything. He stared at his phone, there were three blinking dots below his message, indicating Makoto has more to say.

" _Now that our misunderstandings are cleared up, want to bury the hatchet?"_

Akira smiled, maybe he would get along with Makoto just fine.

" _Yes, I'd be glad to."_

" _Okay :)"_

"Good for you, Joker," Morgana cheered. "We could learn a lot of things from Makoto, don't you think."

Akira nodded, chuckling at the thought, but before that…

" _Regarding our stealth lessons, what exactly do you have in plan?"_

" _A simple introduction,"_ he typed. " _Followed by actual practice."_

" _I see, I'm looking forward to it."_

" _Let's meet up tomorrow, after school."_

" _Okay,"_ followed by three dots. " _But not at the rooftop! Okay? We may be thieves, but let's not abuse that."_

"Joker, you're smiling a lot."

Akira pushed the nosy cat back on his bag as he started his way back home.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Wow, this blew up like a small firework, thanks for reading.

Just a short one today, got work to do. Anyways, this is just a short pet project, so it'll probably be around 5-7 chapters. I'll increase the word length next chapter.


	3. 201

Rain started to pour as evening came, leaving Makoto unfocused as she looked over her study guides. The echoes of raindrops were too much of a temptation, she was simply reading out of habit now, no words sticking on her head.

Her phone rang, giving her a moment's reprieve. Her sister was calling.

"Hello, sis," she answered.

"Makoto, I won't be going home tonight," the voice on the other end was cold, almost business-like. "Eat without me."

"Yes, take-" the call ended. "care…"

She brought her phone down, the lack of a simple goodbye leaving a depressive taste on her mouth. Just how long would this awkward air between her and her sister continue? The thought worsened the taste.

"Maybe I could ask them after this…" she muttered.

Steal her sister's heart. The idea came to her long before she knew about the cognitive world. It was the main reason why she hoped the Phantom Thieves were real, if they were, then maybe they could help her.

"No, that would be too selfish," she shook her head. That was the phrase she uses every time the thought appears in her mind, she had lost count on how many times she had to remind herself that.

More importantly, she was a Phantom Thief now, she couldn't be abusing her powers for selfish reasons. Not like her sister had a palace anyway… right?

The idea plagued her mind, deafening her from the rain. She took her phone. The meta-nav stared at her as if egging her on, " _Click me, poke my eye, don't shy away from the truth."_

She tapped the app.

"Please input your destination," the computerized navigator said.

"Sae... Nijima," she said.

A ring, indicating a hit.

"Please input the location and distortion."

She couldn't believe it. Her respectable sister had a palace? That sister who brought her up, gave her clothes, food, and shelter… that sister who she had always admired and aspired to be… had a palace?

Makoto found it hard to breathe.

"Calm down, Makoto," she said to herself. "It just means her desire's distorted, she's not like that pig, Kaneshiro…" that name sobered her up. "Kaneshiro… right, we need to deal with him first. Let's put this on hold."

She closed the app and her head sunk on the desk, she was too distracted to study.

"Curiosity killed the cat, huh," she said. "Ignorance is bliss… was it ever blissful?"

She laid her head on the side, tapping on her phone with one hand. She clicked on the messenger app, opening the thieves' group chat.

" _Hey, is Morgana still alive?"_ she typed.

"What am I doing?" she laughed. "They would think I'm crazy."

After deleting her text, the group chat was updated.

" _Yo, Akira, when are we going to secure an infiltration route?"_ it came from Ryuji Sakamoto.

" _I'm curious as well,"_ replied another, it was Yusuke Kitagawa. " _It'd be best if we deal with him soon. We can't trust him to keep his word."_

" _Yea, there's no knowing what he'd do,"_ this time it was from her new friend whom she ate crepes with, Ann Takamaki. " _We're in big trouble if those pictures spread, especially Makoto. Speaking of which, how're you holding up, Makoto?"_

" _Woah, are we calling pres by her first name now?"_ Ryuji said.

" _I would like to know how to address you too, Nijima, since you're our upperclassman,"_ Yusuke said.

" _Makoto's fine, we're all equals here,"_ she replied. " _And I'm doing well, Ann."_

" _Welcome aboard, Makoto,"_ came from a new text box, it was Akira's message.

She smiled at the welcome. It was a simple chat to get the group to speed, but she was grateful for them nonetheless, as seeing their stylized portraits eased her mind.

" _There you are!"_ Ryuji said. " _So what do you say, man?"_

" _Let's secure a route on Saturday, then send the calling card on Sunday,"_ Akira said.

" _Alright, that's what I'm talking about!"_ Ryuji replied almost immediately.

Makoto thought that Ryuji's emotion and voice were always set to max. She could practically hear him yelling right now. Maybe it was him that Akira should teach a thing or two about stealth since he was the one who gave her ample evidence to confront the thieves. Or maybe he already taught him?

" _Just one day?"_ Ann said. " _Will we be able to do it?"_

" _We will. I bought adhesives for everyone,"_ Akira said.

" _How wonderful,"_ Yusuke said. " _Those things are invigorating."_

" _Dude, don't they cost a fortune?"_ Ryuji said. " _We had to share the one we got cuz we were broke afterward."_

" _I got a discount. Bought five for the price of one or more of Morgana's lives."_ Akira said.

" _So we're broke?"_ Ann said. " _Well, it did help the last time, so I can't complain. Thank Morgana for me will you ;)"_

" _The cat did good,"_ Akira replied.

" _What are you guys talking about?"_ Makoto quickly typed in after a pause in their conversation.

" _Curious black cats are great test subjects for back-alley doctors,"_ Akira answered her. " _Don't worry, he'll be full of guts at the time of the operation."_

" _What?"_ Makoto typed in. " _Is this a code of sorts?"_

" _Nah, he's just like that at times,"_ Ryuji said.

" _It'll grow on you,"_ followed by Ann.

" _I see…"_ Makoto said. " _How about the adhesives, are those safe?"_

" _There's no doubt,"_ Yusuke said. " _However, they do contain addictive substances."_

It finally clicked on her.

" _Are those nicotine patches?"_

Silence followed.

" _Guys?!"_ she typed in.

" _Don't worry, we only use them in the Metaverse,"_ Akira replied. " _They turn into miraculous fatigue-relieving adhesives in there."_

" _How?"_

" _No idea."_

" _It's prolly similar to how fake guns act like real guns there,"_ Ryuji said. " _Something about cognition. I forgot what Mona told me."_

As she read that, her image of the Phantom Thieves threatened to shatter. " _So who discovered this accessory?"_

She received three text boxes containing the same answer, " _Akira."_

" _Pretty cool, eh?"_ Akira added.

" _It's… an interesting line of thought,"_ she typed with finality, putting the matters at a close.

Exhaustion brew in her, and yet she was in a happier mood. With a smile, she left her phone at the table and went to bed.

* * *

There wasn't much needed to be done in the student council, so she stood outside and texted Akira regarding his lessons. They were planning to infiltrate the palace on Saturday, meaning she would have three days to master stealth. She was nervous, but at the same time eager to learn something new.

Her phone buzzed.

" _Do you have a blackboard in the council room?"_ it was Akira.

" _Yes, why?"_

" _Let's meet there, I'll be using it for a bit."_

" _Okay, good timing the other members have left too,"_ she typed, then a thought. " _Will I be taking notes?"_

" _If it helps."_

She went back to the room and took out a pen and a small notebook.

Akira arrived ten minutes later, two melon bread in hand.

"Here," he tossed one to her as he sat down on a nearby chair, placing his bag on the desk between them. She caught the bread with little trouble. "Eat up, we'll be needing the energy."

"Thank you," she tears off the plastic and took a bite. "This is the one they're selling near the accessway, right?" she asked. "Did you went there first?"

"Yeah, I had to make sure Yusuke's in Shibuya," he said after taking huge bites on his bread. "We'll be tailing him today."

"Why?"

"For practice," he grinned. "I'll explain later," he stood and brought out two canned drinks from his bag. He tossed one to her again, and she caught it again. He ate what was left on his bread and drank his drink, an expression of innocent joy appearing on his face. It made her giggle.

"In a hurry?"

"Gotta teach an honor student, I need to go for broke," he grinned again, but it was different this time, it was more in tune to what she saw back in Kaneshiro's palace. "Enjoy your meal, it comes with the lesson."

"Is Morgana here too?" she looked at his bag.

"Didn't I told you last night?" he said. "He's doing something for the Phantom Thieves."

"I thought you were joking," she took a sip.

"He volunteered," he walked towards the blackboard and picked a chalk. "You should've seen how brave he was."

"Why do I get the feeling you made him volunteer…" her worries were swept by the sweet taste of melon. "Oh, this is delicious."

"Glad you like it," Akira said monotonously as he started writing on the blackboard.

She was halfway on her bread when Akira finished. There were three capitalized words, each had an emoticon next to it, conveying its meaning. Makoto thought better not to question the drawings and instead focused on the words. The three words were "Patience", "Proficiency", and "Phantasm".

"Phantasm?" the other two were simple enough, but phantasm seemed ghost-like... are ghost going to be involved? She shivered at the thought.

"Do you know what these three words are, Makoto?" Akira's voice was heavy, it reminded her of her former Aikido instructor.

"Yes?" she gulped.

"Then why didn't I saw it when you were following me around?!" he smacked the board and chalk dust floated in the air.

Akira's sudden strictness and loud declaration of her stalking caused slight panic in her. She hoped no one heard that.

"Can you please explain, Akira…" she saw his glare. "Teacher."

A smile crept up on Akira's lips as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Teacher's a bit much," he said. "But if you insist, I wouldn't mind being called that during our lessons."

This change made Makoto wonder whether their leader is right in the head.

"I'll stick with Akira," she said.

"Oh," she heard the disappointment in his voice. "Okay."

"So," she coughed. "What do you mean by not seeing those," she pointed at the words. "In me?"

"Simple," he fixed his glasses. "Your technique lack patience, proficiency, and phantasm!"

"Really?"

"Think back and recall the past month. How would you rate yourself?"

"Adequate," she said with pride. "You caught me, but I did found out you were a Phantom Thief."

"That's…" Akira said, pausing to think. "That's beside the point."

"Is it?" she asked, she was on the offensive now. "Don't you think the others, especially Ryuji, would benefit more in this lesson?"

"Huh…" Akira sat down. "I think you're right."

"So," she smiled in triumph. "Does that mean the lessons are concluded?"

"What?" Akira looked at her, his eyes perking up. "No! You still suck at hiding."

"I do not… 'suck' at hiding," she said defensively.

"We're not going anywhere if this continues," he brought out his phone and handed it to her a second later. "Examine this and tell me what you see."

"I see myself following you," it was a picture of her in Shibuya gathering info, not stalking. She was holding a magazine while peering at someone. On the right end of the photo was half of Akira's body. "Who exactly took this photo at this angle?" she asked. "Was it Morgana?"

"Focus," Akira said.

She grumbled and went back to the photo.

"It's clear evidence, but I don't see what's wrong with it."

"There are at least three wrongs in that photo," Akira said. "Your posture, the magazine you're holding, and our proximity."

"What?" she looked back. "But, those are perfect, especially the magazine!"

"It's not!" Akira stood. "You looked suspicious as hell!"

"I-I was?" she trembled. "What about the magazine?"

"Enough with the magazine!" he said. "It only raised your suspiciousness."

Makoto couldn't believe it. She thought it was the perfect cover, but to be told it was the other way around gave her the feeling of defeat.

"I see…" she swallowed that feeling hard. "Okay, then how do I remedy those mistakes?"

"That's where these three words come," he stood near the blackboard. "If you were patient you wouldn't go near me. If you were proficient then you would stand up straight and act normally. And if you were a phantom," he paused and Makoto gulped as tensions rose.

"You would have no need for that goddamn magazine!"

His words struck her critically. She stood up and went to her bag, Akira watching her every step. She took out something from it and walked towards him.

"You brought it…" Akira solemnly stared at the magazine.

"Yes…" she looked like she was about to cry. "Can you…" her words were stuck in her throat.

"I'll keep it for now," he took the magazine from her hand.

"Thank you."

* * *

 **Notes:**

And the firework continues to crackle. Thanks for reading.


	4. 301

Akira and Makoto had their battle faces on when they boarded the train to Shibuya. It was per Akira's suggestion that they act as if they were in a palace, and Makoto, still holding high respect to their leader, nodded and glared at people who met with her eyes. Rumors of the delinquent influencing the student council president started to spread after they both got out of school.

"Akira-" Makoto started as they got off the train.

"Call me Joker," Akira said

"Right, code names..." she said. "I don't have a code name."

"I forgot about that," he said. "What should I call you?"

"I don't know, this is all too sudden," Makoto stopped to think. "Wouldn't Yusuke realize something's up if he were to accidentally hear your code name?"

"That's true…" he paused then looked at Makoto with his phantom smirk. "Alright, call me 'Master'."

"Why?" Makoto fought the urge to punch his face out of reflex.

"You'll be 'Priestess'," he said. "It'll be our codenames for this mission."

"Oh, I see," Makoto stared at him. "Why 'Master', though?"

"Some people call me that," he said with confidence, enough for Makoto to believe him.

"I suppose it's fine, you're teaching me after all," Makoto smiled. "Let's go, Master."

Something clicked inside Akira that day.

* * *

They were both at the underground walkway, not far from the stairs towards the central street of Shibuya, eyeing a tall individual. They blended themselves in the crowd to not get his notice.

"He's just standing there," Makoto said. "What's he doing?"

"People watching," Akira said. "It's for his craft."

"Amazing, he's so focused," Makoto saw a couple cower away from the probing eyes of their person of interest. "And so intense."

"That's Yusuke for you."

"By the way, why are we tailing Yusuke in particular?"

"That's because he's an easy target for a beginner," Akira walked near the walls as the crowd started to disperse, Makoto following behind. "He tends to get lost in his head. And even if he were to notice us, it wouldn't lead to anything troublesome."

"I see," Makoto nodded. "A low-risk, high-reward plan."

Their enthusiasm didn't last long as ten minutes passed and Yusuke was still standing there.

"Does this mean I passed? Makoto asked.

"No. Remember, patience," Akira answered. "A shadow only acts if the person moves. Your task for this lesson is to be Yusuke's shadow."

"If you say so, Master…"

Another ten minutes passed and people were starting to stare at them.

"This isn't good, Priestess," Akira said. "We wouldn't accomplish anything if Yusuke doesn't leave his spot."

"What do you propose we do?" Makoto was convinced that Yusuke was a statue at this point.

"Let's see…" Akira began to think. "Rank up!"

"Rank what up?"

"I mean social- no it's confidant now, I think."

"You're not making any sense," Makoto sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is," Akira paused. "I'm going to hang out with Yusuke, and you'll be following us."

"What?!" that sobered Makoto up. "I don't think I'm ready to do this alone."

"Relax, I'll still be there. You'll just have to do the tailing alone."

"I know, but-" her complaints were left unvoiced as Akira grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You can do this, Priestess," his eyes shone through his glasses. "I believe in you."

"Master…" any anxiety Makoto had was washed away by those earnest eyes. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Good luck," he let go of her. "Two birds with one stone…" he whispered to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing," he grinned. "Let's do this, Priestess."

* * *

Yusuke Kitagawa was a painter who sought to recreate the beautiful things in life on his canvas. But he was at a loss at this moment. He couldn't gather the confidence to pride himself as an artist because his desires were tainted by shallow and materialistic thoughts. He blamed his former teacher, but more so himself for being tempted by such worldly desires.

His stomach growled as his thoughts hungered for answers, and then he fell on his knees. Was this the end for Yusuke Kitagawa? He laughed at the thought, but he couldn't deny that he was at his limits.

Why were art tools so expensive? Why couldn't his body survive without food for a day? He was about to pass out before a ray of light woke him from his helplessness.

"Yusuke! What's wrong?"

It was his friend, his Theo, Akira Kurusu.

"Akira, my friend," he coughed out. "I think I'm at my limit," his stomach growled once more with anger.

"Yusuke, have you eaten anything today?"

"No," he struggled to stand up. "I used all the money I had left to buy a new set of brushes."

"Dude…" Akira held his arm as he began to fall down again. "Let's go to the diner, my treat."

"Akira!" Yusuke cried out.

* * *

"Are you alright now?" Akira asked after they finished their meal.

"Definitely," Yusuke said with a renewed appreciation for life. "I owe you a great deal, Akira."

"Don't mention it," Akira said as he peered past him.

"What are you looking at?" he was about to turn his head before Akira slammed the table.

"Yusuke, do you need some help? If you're having money troubles, you could always talk to me."

"But you already take care of the team's needs, I assume that puts a considerable burden on your finances."

"It does, but I could always treat you to a meal or two."

"I see," Yusuke smiled, his friend's generosity moving his heart. "Then if I were to find myself in a dire situation such as earlier, you'll be the first one I'll call."

Akira laughed. "You should prioritize food for the time being, though," Akira leaned in. "Remember, Kaneshiro."

"Yes," Yusuke's eyes were filled with vigor. "I learned a valuable lesson today."

"That's good to know," Akira took a sip on his fruit tea. "By the way, how's the painting going?"

"To be honest, I'm at a lost," Yusuke stared at his empty plate. "Our trip to the lake last time proved to be too much for me."

"You were thinking of painting the concept of romantic love, right?" Akira tapped his fingers on the table. "Maybe you should ask Ann to model for you again," he said. "She is of the Lovers Arcana…"

"True, Ann might provide some insight when it comes to that subject," Yusuke touched his chin. "Maybe I should ask Makoto as well."

Akira almost choked when he took another sip from his drink. "I doubt she'll be able to help you."

The sudden buzz on his phone surprised the both of them.

"Is someone calling you?"

"No, just a text," Akira pocketed his phone. "And I was just pointing out a casual observation," he said a bit loudly.

"I agree with you," Yusuke said. "Makoto does seem sheltered and inexperienced."

"You're not really one to talk, Yusuke."

"But," Yusuke paused, inspiration hitting him on the head. "As a model, she is of the same caliber as Ann. Maybe I should ask the both of them," he smiled artly. "A foreign and a local beauty in one picture… it could be my masterpiece!"

"Dude…" Akira said. "Though I guess, I do want to see that."

"More importantly, they complement each other very well."

"Really? How so?"

"What Ann lacks in the hips area, Makoto provides," Yusuke's eyes were shining with imagination. "And what Makoto lacks-"

Akira's phone buzzed again.

"Sorry Yusuke, as much as I agree with you," he took out his phone. "I think it's best we save this conversation for another time. I have a feeling we're going to be put on the wrong end of someone's repressed rage if we continue."

His phone buzzed again.

"Yes, you have anger issues, and you're being rude."

"I do?!" Yusuke asked in surprise.

"No, not you. I'm talking about my phone, it keeps interrupting our conversation."

"You talk to your phone?" Yusuke said. "As always, Akira, your eccentricities continues to fascinate me."

"And as always, Yusuke, you're not really one to talk."

They laughed and left the Diner in a good mood.

"Well, remember, if you're ever in anguish," Akira said, preparing to leave. "You know who to call."

"Anguish!" Yusuke yelled. "That's it!"

"Huh?"

"Akira, would you mind accompanying me to Kanda?"

"I don't, but-"

"Let's go then."

And the two left to go to Kanda.

* * *

Makoto was outside a church in Kanda, at a lost and somewhat confused. She was looking at Akira and Yusuke doing weird poses inside the church. They both had their arms upwards towards the sky and one foot raised, Makoto wondered whether they're trying to imitate Jesus. She cringed when a priest approached them.

"Well, this had been an experience," she sighed. Today was a bit too eventful for her liking. She crouched down, held her knees, and sighed once more. "Tired…"

"Um, excuse me," she heard a soft and gentle voice. She looked up, it was a girl from another school. Kosei High, she recalled the blue uniform. "Are you alright? Would you like to go inside?"

"Yes, I'm okay," Makoto quickly stood up "Sorry, I was just waiting for someone," in a haste for an excuse, she lied.

"Oh, okay," the girl paused, and Makoto felt she recognized her somewhere. "If you're waiting for someone, you could sit inside the church. I'm sure the priest wouldn't mind."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think my friend might not see me if I were to go inside."

"Oh, does your friend not have a phone?"

"It's… well, uh," Makoto was melting under the summer heat.

"Makoto?" someone called her. When she turned around, she saw Yusuke and Akira standing behind her.

"Yusuke, fancy meeting you here!" she yelped and she saw Akira holding back a laugh.

"Likewise," Yusuke said. "And Togo? I didn't know you two knew each other."

"Kitagawa, what a surprise to see you here," Togo said. "And no, this is the first time we met," she looked at Makoto who just removed her headband out of discomfort.

"That's not your hair?!" Akira's outburst surprised the other three. "I mean, it looked like your hair."

"I couldn't possibly braid my hair like that, short as it is," Makoto wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Huh… wow, what'd you know," Akira dumbfoundedly stared at Makoto's headband.

"Oh, are they the ones you were waiting for?" Togo asked. "Ah, but you were surprised to see Kitagawa, so I'm guessing it's the other one… um…"

"Akira Kurusu," he smiled, and Togo was distracted by his charm for a second. "I'm a friend of Yusuke," he tapped Yusuke's shoulder. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Hifumi Togo, nice to meet you too," she bowed. "Um, I know this is intrusive of me, but you shouldn't make your friend wait outside in this heat."

"You're right," Akira looked at Makoto's melting figure. "Sorry about that, Makoto."

"Y-You're forgiven," she said and turned to Hifumi. "I'm Makoto Niijima, a friend of Yusuke as well," she bowed, reciprocating Hifumi's courtesy. "Um, thank you for your concern."

"Oh, you're welcome," they smiled at each other, and Akira saw a connection form between them at that little exchange.

"By the way, are you perhaps that Shogi player, Hifumi Togo?" Makoto asked with genuine curiosity.

"Yes," Hifumi nodded, a bit embarrassed.

"Wow, I don't know much about Shogi myself except for the rules, but I've seen some of your plays, and I always admired you."

"Thank you," Hifumi tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear, a visible blush on her face.

"May I inquire about your strategies?"

"Are you interested in Shogi?" Hifumi asked, to which Makoto nodded. "Then we can talk inside the church, it's cool in there," she was about to lead the way before meeting eyes with Akira. "I'm sorry, you were waiting for each other weren't you?"

"T-That's right," Makoto just recalled as well.

"Don't mind me," Akira said. "It's not that important, we can discuss it tomorrow, Makoto."

"Thank you, Akira," she beamed at him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you two here," Hifumi bowed at the two boys. "I'll be seeing you at school, Kitagawa," she turned to Makoto. "Shall we?"

"Yes," Makoto said, following her inside the church.

* * *

"They sure got along fast," Akira said. "Guess that's what happens when you meet a kindred spirit."

He was met with silence as Yusuke was deep in thought.

"Yusuke, you alright?" he asked. "You've been quiet for a while."

"Two Japanese beauties..." he heard him say. "Shogi. Strategy. Kindred spirits…"

"Earth to Yusuke."

"I must…" Yusuke fell on his knees. "Ask… Model… Masterpiece!"

"Yusuke," Akira grabbed his shoulder hard and crouched near his ear. "This is a holy place, contain your desires."

"Ah!" Yusuke stood in shock. "So my desires took hold of me…" he looked up at the sky, raising his hands once again. "I see it now, this is the anguish of a sinner before god!"

"Let's go home, man," Akira dragged Yusuke's enlightened figure by the collar of his shirt.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Edited some words. A bit late, next one will probably be a bit late too.


	5. 302

Akira decided to make a quick stop to the local clinic to check up on Morgana. When he arrived there, the serene sight of Doctor Tae Takemi petting his cat on the counter while reading a document surprised him. A second later, his surprise was replaced by envy.

Morgana saw him and immediately threw him a look of smugness. He backed away, a sense of defeat dragging his spirits to the ground.

The doctor looked away from her document and raised an eyebrow when she saw his bewildered face.

"Are you alright? You don't look well," she said.

"Yes, I'm fine…"

"Is that so?" she eyed him carefully. "Are you here for the trial?"

"No, just checking up on Morgana," he glared at the cat.

"Missed him already?" Takemi smiled.

"Not by a long shot."

"Now, you're just being a sore loser, Joker," Morgana meowed.

"I can't blame you if you do," Takemi scratched Morgana's chin, causing the cat to meow affectionately. "He's so adorable."

"Hehehe, hear that?"

Akira kept silent, his glare unable to affect Morgana's happiness.

"I hope you don't mind, but I gave him a bath yesterday," Takemi said.

"She was in the bath too," Morgana grinned.

"For real?!" Akira voiced his inner Ryuji.

"He was so dirty," Takemi frowned. "Are you sure you're taking care of him?"

Akira flinched at Takemi's scowl. He silently cursed at Morgana for baiting him.

"I am," he said. "You cunning bastard," he hissed at Morgana.

"He appears to be healthy, so I'll believe you," Takemi said. "But if I see any sign of neglect, I wouldn't hesitate to take him off your hands."

"I'll do my best," Akira scratched his head as he bowed. "You sure have taken a liking on him," he patted Morgana roughly.

"Hey!" Morgana yelled.

"I thought you wanted to experiment on him or something," Akira said, ignoring Morgana's cries.

"Did I phrase it that badly?" Takemi pondered. "Though, I suppose what I did yesterday could be considered an experiment," she slapped Akira's hand and started patting Morgana gently. "Right?"

"Right," Morgana purred.

"He's a smart cat isn't he?" she looked at Akira. "It feels like he understands anything I say."

"You're imagining it," Akira laughed nervously as he rubbed the sting off his hand.

"I guess so," she smiled. "Will you be taking him? I can keep him for one more… week?" she sounded so hopeful. "If you want," she added.

"Can I stay, Joker?" Morgana meowed excitedly.

"If it's no trouble," Akira looked at Morgana. "I'll be needing him this weekend, though, if that's alright."

Morgana realized his message and nodded.

"That's okay," Takemi smiled again, and Akira couldn't help appreciating it. It was so rare to see her so open to others. "Will you be going on a trip?"

"Something like that," he paused. "Can I talk to him for a sec?"

"Talk?" Takemi chuckled and stood up. "Very well, I'll be in the storage room if you need me."

When she was out of the room, Morgana perched up.

"This Saturday, huh," he said. "How're Makoto's lessons going?"

"There's been some progress," Akira said. "I'm planning to raid the whole palace for one day so we can immediately send the calling card."

"That'll be tough, but I also think we're ready to push through, especially since there are six of us now," Morgana said.

Akira nodded. "Get some proper rest the day before, alright?"

"I should be saying that to you," Morgana sighed. "Don't stay up too late while I'm away, got it?"

Hand and paw, they shook.

"Also," he leaned near Morgana. "I need you to tell me, in every detail, what you saw in that bath," his voice was grave and final.

Morgana scoffed. "Come now, Joker, I taught you better than that," he shook his cat head. "If you want crucial information, you must give something in return."

"You're right," Akira said. "What do you want?"

"You already know that," Morgana smirked.

"Sushi?"

"Ginza Sushi."

"Those aren't cheap..." now it was Akira's turn to shake his head. "You know we're broke, right?"

"You don't want the info then?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Akira fixed his glasses. "It's a deal."

Hand and paw, they shook once more.

* * *

Makoto arrived home late at night, her talk with Hifumi causing her to lose track of time. Thankfully, Sae wasn't there to chew her out. She sat down on the couch and was tempted to turn on the television till she saw what time it was. It was nearing 11.

"I should go to bed," she stretched and laid down. "A bit later…"

A lot of things happened today and she was tired, but she was happy. She hadn't expected her day to be so fun and eventful under the guise of a 'lesson'. She was so used to learning things through books and study guides that a little part of her wasn't keen on experiencing the outside world. Whatever there was out there, she could learn through reading.

Only when she awakened to her Persona did she realized how limited she was living her life. She was a robot who only did what others expected her to do. Her presidency was a joke, she was just the principal's glorified gofer who hungered for a recommendation letter. She hated that.

Being bossed around was suffocating. Being called useless was enraging. It was no wonder her mettle broke, and maybe, just maybe, Akira was correct and she had anger problems.

"Said the-" Makoto paused to think of an insult, but nothing came, so she settled on dissing his hair. "Unkempt Phantom Thief…" she sighed, she was disappointed at herself.

She thought of Akira. At first, when she heard of the rumors surrounding him, she concluded he was just a troublemaker. Nothing more, nothing less, she was too busy keeping up with her duties and studies. Though he did frequently bother her when she was at her usual spot in the library.

"I wonder why…" she recalled he always had a book in hand. It wasn't long till she memorized that hair of his because of those small encounters. "That hair does make him stand out."

Then the incident with Kamoshida happened. She knew better now, but back then, she was suspicious of them, especially him, the unkempt troublemaker. Unlike Ann or Ryuji, whom she had doubts, she was certain Akira was responsible. It wasn't because of his criminal record, but because she once saw how he confronted Kamoshida.

It was the week after Shiho Suzui jumped. Things were still hectic in the school and rumors were spreading like wildfire. One rumor she heard while in the library was that the criminal transfer student was about to be expelled. Annoyed at the noise, she left.

She made a quick turn to the bread store before leaving school, only to curse inwardly when the bread lady told her that the last yakisoba bread had been bought by the student behind her. When she turned around, she saw him, unkempt as always, eating her desired bread.

He was about to leave when Kamoshida stood before him and the exit.

"Better savor that bread, Kurusu, it might be your last," Kamoshida sneered.

"Sure thing, teacher," Akira smiled and walked past him. Then he stopped with one foot outside of the school and turned to Kamoshida. "You better savor the coming days, teacher, because it will be your last," he grinned.

Makoto was surprised at Akira's expression. It was smug and full of confidence, completely different from the somewhat submissive expression she usually saw on his face. Only a few days ago did she realize it was the face he uses when fighting shadows.

When he left, she recalled Kamoshida yelling "Damn brat!"

"Smug…" Makoto muttered. "That's right, he's an unkempt smug bastard," she laughed, proud of herself for discovering a fitting insult. "I wonder how our smug leader is doing," she brought out her phone.

" _Hey, are you still awake?"_ she typed in. Only when she tapped sent did she realize how stupid her question was, but she was too sleepy to care. Akira's reply arrived a few seconds later.

" _Yeah, just about to go home,"_ she read. " _What's up?"_

" _I thought you went home earlier?"_ she typed. " _And I want to know how I did today. Did I pass?"_

" _I did, but I'm kind of low on cash, so I decided to look for a part-time job in Shinjuku. Luckily, I found a nice place to work in. The pay's nice too."_

Makoto saw that Akira had something more to say, but the mention of "Shinjuku" and "Part-time Job" triggered her presidential worries.

" _Are you sure the job's legitimate?"_ she typed in. " _I've received reports concerning students in our school who're having trouble with their part-time jobs there."_

" _Calm down, Pres,"_ she read, and him calling her that again did calm her down. " _Don't worry, the job's legit. The owner of the place is one of the nicest people I've ever met. It's also the place where the reporter who gave me Kaneshiro's name frequents to."_

" _I see. I trust you, Akira,"_ she typed in. " _Just stay safe."_

" _I will,"_ he replied.

" _What do you need the money for, anyway?"_ she asked. " _If it's for the team, I could pitch in. Maybe I'll look for a part-time job as well."_

" _Aren't you busy with council work?"_

" _I am, but…"_

" _Don't worry, I can take care of our team's finances,"_ he said. " _Besides, I took the job for a different reason."_

" _May I ask what it is?"_

" _It's for Morgana,"_ he said. " _I promised to treat him to some sushi."_

Makoto was surprised. " _That's so sweet of you."_

" _Haha, well, I grew to like the little furball."_

With a smile on her face, Makoto felt her eyelids close. Then her phone buzzed her awake.

" _By the way, you passed,"_ she read. " _Yusuke found you at the end, but he didn't notice anything. All things considered, you did great."_

" _I'm relieved, thank you."_

" _And you made a friend as well. Be sure to introduce me at a later date. Togo's strategies might help us on our ventures."_

" _I will,"_ she smiled at the thought of Hifumi. " _I have to thank you for that too."_

" _Haha, you're welcome then,"_ he said. " _Go to sleep, Makoto. I'll see you tomorrow."_

" _I'll do just that,"_ she said. " _Goodnight, Akira."_

And thus Makoto Niijima fell asleep on the couch.


	6. 401

When classes were over, Makoto headed to the school's courtyard and waited for Akira outside the gym where there were benches and vending machines. She bought a snack and nibbled on it as she watched the clouds passed by.

"Pres," she heard. She turned to her left and saw a member of the student council calling for her. "What're you doing out here?" the girl said as she approached her.

"Just waiting for a friend," she said. "How are you?" she noticed the girl's fidgety behavior.

"I'm alright," the girl said looking at her feet. "Pres, is everything okay?"

"Yes," Makoto stood. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" the girl played with her fingers. "I heard a rumor."

"Concerning me?"

"Y-Yeah,"

"What is it?" Makoto pressed, growing weary of the girl's lack of directness.

"It's about the transfer student…" the girl mumbled and Makoto sighed. She was expecting something like this to happen sooner or later.

"What about him?" she said.

"I heard he was extorting you or something…"

"Extorting me for what?" Makoto's glare caused the girl to shrink.

"M-Money and…" the girl gulped, but Makoto interjected before she could finish what she was about to say.

"He's not like that," Makoto said gravely. "Listen, you shouldn't take rumors seriously. Often than not, they're filled with lies."

"O-Oh…" the girl slumped her shoulders. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Makoto softened her expression and let out another sigh, she seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

"It's okay. Thank you for your concern," she smiled.

The girl nodded and went off.

"The rumors about me sure are escalating aren't they?" she turned and saw Akira. Swiftly, without any hint of hesitation, he took the last piece of her snack and put it in his mouth.

"Hey, I was eating that!"

"Too late," he swallowed. "All gone," he showed her the inside of his mouth.

Makoto wanted to be angry, but a laugh left her after seeing Akira's stupid expression.

"Close your mouth."

Akira smiled at her and offered to buy her a drink. She accepted and they sat at the bench with drinks in hand.

"You know, that rumor isn't exactly wrong," Akira said.

"How so?" Makoto eyed him curiously.

"You blackmailed us, remember?"

"Oh!" she recalled in surprise and Akira laughed at her reaction.

"Though, the rumor got it backward," he said. "I wonder what will happen if they found out Ms. Pres blackmailed the Phantom Thieves to do her bidding."

"Now you're just teasing me aren't you?"

"Yep," he nodded with a satisfied grin on his face.

Makoto grumbled, opting to drown her annoyance with the sour yet invigorating taste of lemon. "Smug bastard," she slipped out.

"Oh-ho," Akira was impressed. "Pres is learning how to smack-talk, eh?"

Makoto blushed. She couldn't deny the liberating feeling of saying what she felt, so she hid it by emptying her lemon soda. "Sorry, that was immature of me," she coughed.

"You should loosen up," Akira said, gentler this time. "Remember how you cursed at Kaneshiro's shadow before awakening to your Persona?"

Makoto nodded, unsure whether to feel good about that or not.

"Righteous anger isn't a bad thing. In fact, I recommend it," Akira finished his drink as well. "Besides, we're friends, things like that won't offend me."

"I suppose you're right," Makoto smiled, she seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

"That and we're officially friends now, aren't we?"

Makoto looked at him in question before realizing what he meant.

"Just how long were you eavesdropping?"

"From the very beginning," he said. "I'm a phantom, after all."

"Yes, yes, you are," Makoto rolled her eyes and stood.

"Well, aren't you cute, Pres."

"Stop teasing me!"

"I don't think I'll stop anytime soon," Akira stood with another satisfied grin on his face.

Makoto glared at him, holding back the urge to mess up his already messed-up hair. Akira took her glare in stride.

"Anyway," Makoto turned, her defiance was to deny him eye-contact. "What's today's agenda?"

"Our target for today is Ryuji Sakamoto."

* * *

Ryuji Sakamoto leaned his back on the wall near the stairs as he waited for Akira to come. Akira had texted him to meet up. It was unusual, but he couldn't care less, he needed to blow off some steam.

He yawned, still not fully awake after taking a nap on his last class.

"Dude, cover your mouth when you do that."

He opened his eyes and saw Akira.

"Sup," he greeted lamely.

"You alright? It's rare seeing you this lethargic," Akira said.

"Letar-what? Sounds like toothpaste," he yawned again, blocking it with his hand this time.

"How far behind are you in your studies?"

"C'mon man, cut me some slack," he cracked his neck. "I've been staying up all night looking for info."

"About that Yamauchi guy?"

"Yep," he stretched his arms, the cracking noises waking him up. "Heard he frequents the monjayaki shop in Tsukishima, now I just need to know his schedule."

"Monjayaki, huh," Akira pondered. "It's been awhile since I had those."

"Were you even listening to what I just said?"

"Yep. We're eating monjayaki, right?"

"Of course, It'll be a waste not to eat some when we're there," Ryuji said. "I still need to do some digging though."

"You sure you don't want to eat right now?"

"Dude, are you that hungry?"

"I'm not, it's just monjayaki, man," Akira shook his head.

"I know what you mean," Ryuji nodded.

They shared a dream of eating monjayaki, however, it didn't last long. They had cooked the perfect monjayaki, but before they could take a bite, they were interrupted by the high-pitched voice of their mutual acquaintance.

"Akira, Ryuji," they turn and saw a boy with blue hair. "We're friends right?"

"Friend's a bit…" Ryuji said.

"Mishima, classes just ended," Akira said. "Don't be so needy."

"I'm not," Mishima frowned. "I'm just wondering whether you guys are free."

"Why, what's up?" Ryuji asked.

"Look at this!" Mishima showed them a poster filled with a vibrant pink and the words 'maid' and 'master'. "Don't you guys think it's about time we get our revenge?"

"Chill," Akira said, but there was no denying the glint in his eyes. "Where's that from?"

"It's from the new maid cafe in Akihabara," Mishima said. "They're having a discount right now for people in groups of three."

"Oh?" Ryuji was now fully awake. "What about the maids?"

Mishima smirked and brought out his phone. "Look at this," it was a picture of a nervous Mishima and a cute maid.

"Holy shit, she's cute!" Ryuji said. "Wait, you already went there?"

Mishima shrugged. "I need to do some research first. We can't be failing like last time, right?"

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Akira asked.

Mishima nodded with conviction.

"Damn," Ryuji said. "Your heart's been set, huh," he looked at Akira. "What do you say, man? Looks like our friend needs help."

"That he does," Akira grinned. "That he does."

"Let's go then," Mishima turned to the stairways. "Time for the real Operation Maidwatch."

* * *

"I paid 4000 yen for this omelette!" Ryuji's voice echoed loudly throughout the cafe. "Fix it!"

"I'm so sorry, master!" the maid serving Ryuji shrunk and took his plate of splattered ketchup, the omelette a bloody mess, and ran.

"You call this coffee?!" Akira slammed the table causing the maid serving him to cower in fear. "It's actually not that bad," he took another sip. "No, I take it back. This is really good!"

"Oh, um, thank you… would you like another cup, master?"

"Please," Akira said and the maid took off.

Mishima ate his food in silence, afraid to stutter in front of the maid serving him.

"Would you like some more water, master?"

"Y-Yes, p-p-please!" he stuttered.

"Okay," and the maid went away with a chuckle.

"Damn, that girl knows her coffee," Akira emptied his cup in approval. "Who knew I'd find a rival here."

"You're lucky. Mine filled my plate with hot sauce, can't even eat the damn thing," Ryuji chugged a glass of water. "It still burns."

"I suck…" Mishima lamented.

"You tried your best," Akira said.

"Yeah, no worries, man. You'll rise from this," Ryuji said.

"You guys…" Mishima teared up.

"But man, the girls here are cute aren't they?" Ryuji smiled widely. "I'd be a regular here if not for the price."

"Yeah, I blew my earnings from yesterday," Akira looked at the insides of his wallet and saw a solitary 500 yen coin.

"We can always go to mementos," Ryuji said.

"Mementos?" Mishima asked.

Akira glared at Ryuji causing him to go wide eye in realization. Mishima saw this exchange and interjected before Ryuji could utter another word.

"I didn't hear anything," he said. "By the way, Akira, I think I saw you in Shinjuku last night. Were you there?"

"Yeah," Akira fixed his glasses, a smile forming on his face. "I got a part-time job at a bar called 'Crossroads'."

"I see," Mishima said.

"What were you doing there?" Ryuji asked.

"The usual. Research, managing the Phansite, the works."

"You sure are working yourself to the bone," Ryuji said.

"Well, the Phantom Thieves wouldn't have gained any sort of traction if not for his hard work," Akira said.

"You're exaggerating," Mishima laughed. He was pleased without a doubt. "By the way, there's actually another reason why I wanted to talk to you guys."

"If it's how to act on a maid cafe, just don't follow Ryuji's example," Akira said.

"Eff you, man," Ryuji said. "In my opinion, the kid needs more guts, so he needs to follow my example."

"True, the kid needs to be emboldened," Akira pondered. "But I have doubts about him learning from you."

"The 'kid' doesn't need advice on anything," Mishima said. "It's about the forum requests."

"What about it?" Ryuji said. Both him and Akira leaned closer, their faces grave.

Mishima gulped. "A number of people posted your name on it," he looked at Akira. "They want you to have a change of heart."

"What?" Akira said. "Why?"

"There's a rumor going around in our school right now," Mishima said. "Here, it's easier to see it," he brought the Phansite on his phone and handed it to Ryuji.

"Let's see," Ryuji started reading. "The transfer student in our school is getting too close to our president," he read and looked at Akira. "This guy has a criminal record, I'm worried about her. Please change that guy's heart,"

"That could be anybody," Akira said.

"Dude, you're the only one I know who's a recent transfer and has a criminal record," Ryuji said.

"Read the ones below," Mishima said.

"Holy shit, do you go to Shujin?" Ryuji read aloud. "Yeah."

"What?" Akira asked.

"The dude who posted the request said 'Yeah'."

"Oh, continue then."

"I don't go to Shujin, but I've seen your president, she's cute," Ryuji read. "You think he's blackmailing her?"

"They're just saying whatever they want," Akira scoffed.

"Yeah, she's really cute," Ryuji read. "Uptight, but pretty. I want to protect her lol."

"Didn't know you have a crush," Akira said.

"Shut it," Ryuji said before going back to reading. "C'mon P. Thieves, protect our beautiful president from that criminal bastard!"

After reading that last message, Ryuji handed back Mishima's phone.

"And that's just one of many threads," Mishima said. "What do you guys think?"

"It's a load of-" Akira looked at Ryuji, "eff."

"True, you should just ignore this type of requests," Ryuji said. "But man, didn't know Makoto was popular."

"Eh? Makoto?" Mishima said. "You guys know her personally?"

"Something like that," Akira said.

"Pretty, huh?" Ryuji pondered. "I guess I could see it, but she's more scary if you ask me."

"That's true," Mishima nodded. "I get nervous whenever I see her. Feels like she'll glare me out of existing if I ever break school rules."

"I don't know, I kinda agree with the cute part," Akira said, causing odd stares from his two friends.

"Sounds like you're the one who has a crush," Ryuji grinned.

"Shut it."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Ryuji's remade omelette.

"Sweet, I've been waiting for this!" he refused the addition of ketchup and started devouring his food. Not long after, Akira's second cup of coffee and Mishima's refill arrived.

As the three enjoyed their meal, a lone priestess sat at a booth out of their line of sight. She was red-faced and drinking coffee.

"Would you like another cup, Madam?" the maid serving her asked after seeing her empty cup.

"Yes, please," she said.

* * *

Ryuji and Akira parted with Mishima near the station entrance, Mishima opting to stay at Akihabara to gather some intel.

"Man, that guy works himself too hard," Ryuji said. They stopped at the subway, waiting for their train to arrive.

"It hasn't been long since Kamoshida, so I think it's his way of recovering," Akira said, tapping on his phone.

"You've got a point. That kid's much of a victim as Ann and Suzui," he said, cupping his chin. "We should prolly treat him better."

"And don't forget, he's also our number one Phanboy," Akira smirked, pocketing his phone. "But I'm curious, you said something interesting right now."

"Did I?"

"Yeah," Akira said. "You don't consider yourself a victim of Kamoshida?"

"Oh," Ryuji pondered. "Technically, I guess I was. But ya know, I managed to get back at him," he grinned. "And he's in jail now, so everything's squared."

"That also applies to Ann, you know," Akira chuckled. "She was the one who brought that bastard to his knees."

"Ah, you're right."

"I guess you two are similar in that regard," Akira said. "I'm really glad you two were the first people I befriended here."

"Geez, man," Ryuji said, rubbing his hair. "What's with the sappiness?"

"Probably the maid cafe," Akira said. "I feel like my kindness leveled up."

"I getcha!" Ryuji nodded. "I feel gutsier after yelling at that cute maid."

"Right?!"

Ryuji's phone buzzed as the train arrived, it was a message from his former upperclassman. He checked the message and smiled widely at its contents.

"Dude, you still got some time right?" he said, stopping Akira from boarding the train.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Let's go have that monjayaki," he showed Akira the message. "That bastard is going there right now."

"I see, only one problem."

"What is it?"

Akira brought out his wallet and tossed whatever's left inside on his palm. Only a 500 yen coin dropped.

"For real? You're more broke than me?" Ryuji asked.

Akira fixed his glasses, the lenses shining through. "Yes."

"Why do you sound so damn proud?" for the first time in their friendship, Ryuji felt pity for Akira. "Fine, I'll treat you. Let's go."

* * *

Makoto watched Akira and Ryuji devour plates of monjayaki, clearly celebrating their success. She asked Akira if she could help in any way regarding Ryuji's situation, but Akira texted her to let Ryuji handle it on his own. She wasn't convinced at first, but after listening to the recording (through Akira's phone) she yielded. It would be improper for an outsider to butt in when all the pieces were about to fall in its place.

She peered through the shop's window again, feeling slightly envious as she hadn't eaten monjayaki before. It was a small place, and unlike the maid cafe, it didn't have any table where she could hide.

Her stomach growled. She sighed, it was a mistake not to order food at the cafe.

"Niijima?" she heard her name. Startled, she immediately turned around. It was Miss Kawakami, her former teacher in Japanese Language.

"Teacher!" she wasn't doing anything particularly bad, but she felt like a criminal who's discovered without her pants.

"What are you doing outside? C'mon let's go in," Kawakami smiled, her good mood spreading on the air.

Used to the sight and demeanor of a tired and depressed Kawakami, Makoto couldn't help but stare, unsure whether she was looking at the real deal.

"Hello, Miss Niijima?"

"Dude, that shit was great, let's go on a run to burn it-" yellow spiky hair appeared on Makoto's line of vision. "Makoto?" a second later, it was followed by a mop of messy black hair. "And Kawakami?"

"Sakamoto?" Kawakami said. "And Kurusu too," she frowned at Ryuji. "That's Miss Kawakami to you."

"Hey, teach, fancy meeting you here," Akira said. "You too, Makoto," he grinned.

Seeing Akira's conceited smirk snapped Makoto out of her pause. "Yes, what a coincidence," she said, expressing a glare specifically for Akira.

The brusqueness on her voice, however, didn't go unnoticed.

"I understand, Niijima," she heard Kawakami's voice. "Seeing two troublemakers after school sours the mood doesn't it?"

"Huh? N-No," she tried to explain.

"But that's just on the surface," Kawakami interjected. "Kurusu isn't really that much of a troublemaker, though I can't say the same thing for Sakamoto."

"Hey, what does that mean?" Ryuji's yells were followed by Akira's laughter. "And dude, don't put me inside the bus."

"It's 'under'," Makoto said. "And don't worry teacher, we're friends."

"Really?" Kawakami said.

"Yeah," Ryuji said, loud as ever. "The president's our friend, what d'you say about that, Kawakami?"

"I'm really surprised," Kawakami said. "But I don't see you dyeing your hair back."

"Eh, this fits me better," Ryuji said.

"You look like a thug, dude," Akira said.

"And you look like Harry Potter," Ryuji replied.

"He does, doesn't he?" Makoto laughed, however, her moment of superiority crumbled as her stomach growled once again.

Kawakami and Ryuji stared at her as Akira sniggered.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten yet," she said, her face flushed.

"Now, quit teasing Niijima and get out of our way," Kawakami said, pushing between the two troublemakers. "Let's go inside, Niijima, my treat," she smiled at her.

"Yes," Makoto followed, still a bit taken aback by Kawakami's vibrant mood. She said her goodbyes to the two boys before exchanging a glance with Akira.

He grinned at her and she grinned back, they would talk about the results later. Right now her mind wondered what monjayaki tasted like.

* * *

 **Notes:**

No idea how maid cafe works. Also, I'm late, I'll try not to be late on the next one.


End file.
